Q:Hi, wondering what information you may be able to share about this bike. It was purchased new in 1955, (my 4th birthday). The original colour was red with a little white basket attached to the front handle bars and a bag on the back. It has hard tyres the basket and bag have been lost over the years and the seat replaced, (still have it) apart from the colour the rest is original. Although it was purchased in New Zealand, I doubt it was make here as at that time most goods were imported from UK or USA.
A: I looks like a Tri-Ang trike from around 1955 as you said. Tri-Ang, although an English company had factories in other countries including Canada, Australia and New Zealand (in Auckland, I believe). I don’t know if there is a way to tell where a particular Tri-Ang tricycle was made, we don’t see too many of them in the US and the photos we do see seem to have the same basic design in England as they do in Australia, for example.
Q: I was given this tricycle over 20 years ago when a friend moved interstate. Her only knowledge about it at the time was that it had been used in an Australian movie…which one..who knows?! It has no trade marks and has obviously been well loved in a proir life! It stands 48cms from the floor to the top of the handle bar and is 58cms long from front wheel to the back wheel. I’m wondering if it may be a ‘backyard creation’ as I haven’t found anything in my research that looks like it. Would it be possible to age it at all?
A: If I had to venture a guess, I’d say it was made by Tri-Ang. It seems as if about 95% of tricycles in Australia were made by either Tri-Ang or Cyclops or one of their parent companies or subsidiaries. Your tricycle probably originally had a decal or logo on the top of the seat and it’s probably been painted over. Our Tri-Ang manufacturer page has some more info and a few pictures. As far as being used in a movie, we wouldn’t know anything about that. I’m sure there is someone that would have an idea. The tricycle could have been made in the 1930′s and possibly up through the 1950′s. This style was probably made for quite some time. Good luck.
November 21st, 2010
admin
Q: This summer I came across this little beauty. I have done an hour of research since then as to the history of it, but I have come up empty…..
A: Your tricycle is a Thistle, as stated later in your email. It was made by Triang (some Triang company info) possibly in Canada. They for sure had factories in England and Australia, but a lot of these pop up in Canada, and though we’ve never confirmed it, they likely had a factory somewhere in Canada.
Your tricycle appears to have been made in the mid-late 1960′s. The Hercules bell that you mentioned was probably not original to the tricycle when new.
